Hundreds of Australians in Lismore living in tents one year on from deadly floods

Hundreds of families are still living in tents, caravans and porta-coms one year on from deadly floods in Australia that killed 10 people.

It's one year on from the day that changed everything in Lismore, New South Wales, when floods rose faster and higher than forecast.

Pensioner Leanne waited 19 hours to be winched from her tin roof - and that was just the start of a long emotional year. 

"You laugh, you try to find funny sides of things but it's just absolute emptiness that you feel," Leanne said. "There's so much hurt out there, people are just hurting, really hurting."

Her home is practically uninhabitable. 

"You've got to fill up a bucket of water to flush the toilet," she said. "But I do have a shower."

Like hundreds of flood victims, Leanne is living in tiny, temporary accommodation. 

Her place has enough for one, but in the backyard of Benny McElliot's place, a family of six is reaching breaking point.

"We're not a perfect family but we do fight a lot more since the flood. We just want a home," McElliot said.

Many residents in Lismore have marked their homes with hearts. 

Even though they're built on flood-prone land and can't be reinsured, they wait on a government buyout or repair. 

And while many have lost almost everything, Leanne's dog DJ has defied the odds. 

"He survived three days on the water, jumped out of the boat as they were to take him up," she said. 

Her best mate is still by her side, while she waits to have a home - 365 days and counting.